The invention relates to an arrangement which is to be worn preferably on the wrist.
An eye-catching object is understood as being a jewelry element (precious-stone arrangements, crowns, etc.), a watchcase, a display element (mini calculator, mini pager, etc.), etc.
Hinged closures are used, in particular, for watch-straps (although this is not necessarily the case). They are also referred to as folding closures. The hinged closure with the strap ends fastened on it forms a continuous, so-called strap. When the hinged closure is opened, only the circumference of the strap is increased such that the hand can be slipped in and out. The strap is not separated in any way.
A strap is understood as being all types of means which can enclose the forearm in the vicinity of the wrist and at the ends of which a hinged closure may be provided. In the broader sense, a strap is also understood as being a means which can be placed around the foot in the region of the ankle. In the broadest sense, a necklace and a belt also fall into this category.
An arrangement with a Z-closure on a watch-strap is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,604. The known closure had a watchcase as an eye-catching object. The watchcase was designed in two parts with a top part bearing a watch movement and with a watch base. The top part and the watch base were connected in an articulated manner to a link. The watch base was designed such that the top part and link could be positioned in it. One strap end was articulated on the top part and the other strap end was articulated on the bottom part. For opening purposes, it was necessary to use one""s fingernail to raise one side of the watchcase from the watch base as xe2x80x9cZ-basexe2x80x9d.
British Patent Application GB-A 405 452 describes a circumferentially closed arrangement with a hinged closure. The hinged closure had a central closure part with toggle levers arranged symmetrically on both sides with respect to the closure part. The central closure part had a timepiece as an eye-catching object. Each toggle lever had two leg parts connected to a pivot articulation, in which case that end of a first leg part directed away from the pivot articulation was connected pivotably to the watchcase and that end of the second leg part directed away from the pivot articulation was connected pivotably to the strap end. In the closed state of the arrangement, the leg parts were in the collapsed state, in which case the first leg part came to rest on the inner side, and the second leg part came to rest on the outer side, of the arrangement. In order to open the arrangement or the hinged closure, the fingernail was used to grip beneath the pivot articulation, connecting the two leg parts and located adjacent to the central closure part, and to draw it outward, as a result of which the hinged closure swung open and thus increased the circumference of the arrangement. It was then possible for the arrangement to be slipped off the wrist.
An arrangement with a hinged closure in which a watchcase was arranged is likewise known from Swiss Patent CH-A 662 031. In each case two fork-shaped pivot levers which are connected to one another by an articulation at the fork-tine ends gripped around the watchcase to the left and right. The watchcase was thus the central part (xe2x80x9ccommon supporting platexe2x80x9d) of the hinged closure. The two articulations at the fork-tine ends were located beside the other, on the outside of the watchcase, in the closed state. In order to open the hinged closure (increase the circumference of the arrangement) it was necessary to use one""s fingernail to grip beneath at least one of the articulations and draw the same outward.
German Patent DE-C 621 286 has disclosed an arrangement which was not of the generic type and had a closure and a link strap. An eye-catching object was not present. In addition, the closure mainly had a central closure part, at the ends of which in each case a single leg was arranged by way of a first pivot articulation. At the leg end not connected to the central closure part, the link strap was then fastened by a second pivot articulation. The central closure part is arranged such that it remains directed towards-the inner side of the arrangement, that is to say the wrist, in each case. In the closed state of the arrangement, the second pivot articulations were located on the central closure part. In order to open the arrangement, it was necessary to use one""s fingernail to grip beneath at least one of the second pivot articulations and draw the same upward. An arrangement analogous to this is described in EP-A 0 208 168.
The object of the invention is to provide a circumferentially continuous arrangement which is to be worn preferably on the wrist and has a strap and a hinged closure which serves for changing the circumference, said arrangement, firstly, remaining reliably in a shortened-circumference state by means of a collapsed hinged closure, secondly, being easily opened, in particular in a xe2x80x9cfingernail-friendlyxe2x80x9d manner, to increase the circumference, and thirdly, having an aesthetically pleasing appearance in particular, in the closed state.
The object is achieved in that the collapsible toggle lever, which is connected to the strap end and is offset circumferentially with respect to the central closure part, and the central closure part are designed and connected to one another such that, for the direct transition from the closed state of the hinged closure to the open state, the central closure part has to be moved, or moves, outward. This means, that for opening purposes, the central closure part has to be drawn outward, i.e. upward in the case of an arrangement which has to be worn on the wrist, or it moves a predetermined radical distance in the outward direction; it springs open such that it can be gripped to good effect. The hinged closure may be constructed asymmetrically with one toggle lever or asymmetrically or symmetrically with two toggle levers.
In contrast to the closures described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,604, GB-A 405 452, CH-A 662 031, DE-C 621 286 and EP-A 0 208 168, no more xe2x80x9cfingernail-breaking actionsxe2x80x9d are necessary, according to the invention, in order to open the closure. The central closure part is now simply drawn upward or radially outward; in one variant, it even springs open by a lateral pressure being applied to the bracelet-design strap. The central closure part can be gripped laterally by the thumb and a further finger in order to be opened and then to be opened further.
In a preferred variant, in addition, the strap of the arrangement comprises at least two non-deformable bracelet parts which are adapted to the wrist contour, are designed preferably symmetrically to one another and are connected pivotably to one another by a bracelet pivot articulation. Each toggle lever, the central closure part and the two bracelet parts are then designed such that the bracelet end edges are only spaced apart from one another by a minimal spacing when the central closure part is raised up outward by a gripping distance. By lateral pressing on the broad sides (outer sides) of the bracelet parts, in a radially inward direction following the collapsed toggle levers, opening of the arrangement is then satisfactory possible by virtue of the central closure part springing up from the closed state and being gripped in order to be opened further.
Each toggle lever is constructed from two leg parts which are each connected to one another by a pivot articulation. The toggle lever may then be connected fixedly or also pivotably to the central closure part by way of one leg part. If it is connected fixedly to the closure part, this results in the straightforward, fingernail-friendly closing and opening operation described hereinbelow. This is because it is no longer the case, as with the prior art, that it is necessary to use one""s fingernails to grip beneath the pivot articulation, which connects the pivot parts, and to draw the same upward.
The arrangement according to the invention can be designed together with the above mentioned hinged closure in such an aesthetically pleasing manner, that even on its own it acts as a piece of jewellery wearable on the wrist. If, in addition, the central part of the hinged closure is provided with an eye-catching object, this gives an expediently designed and attractive piece of jewelry, especially if the strap or bracelet parts are also artistically fashioned.
In contrast to that in U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,604, the eye-catching object arranged on the hinged closure in one variant is not in two parts. In the variant of the invention, the eye-catching object is a single-piece part of a symmetrically constructed hinged closure. This avoids the injury-causing corners and edges of the base part from U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,604. In a preferred embodiment, it is also possible for the solution according to the invention to achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance of a closed bracelet. The strap will preferably be designed as a watch-strap. However, variants in which use is made of eye-catching objects other than the watchcase, as has been indicated above, are also possible.
To emphasize an aesthetically pleasing shaping, it is possible, in particular, for the two toggle levers of the hinged closure to be positioned in a flash manner in cutouts in the end regions of the strap. For this purpose, the sum of the thicknesses of the two leg parts of each toggle lever, apart from a tolerance, is equal to the thickness of the strap end region. In this case, in each case one leg part is of concave design and the other is of convex design with a curvature of the respective strap end region in order that, in the closed state of the arrangement, the collapsed toggle levers are positioned in a surface-flash manner in the respective cutout.
In addition, the two toggle levers and the associated cutout will preferably be designed such that the toggle levers are located with latching action in the cutouts and can be swung out or open for opening purposes only by a slight force being applied. In addition, the toggle lever and cutout will be designed such that it is not possible for the toggle lever to be pressed through the cutout.
It should also be envisaged again that the arrangement according to the invention can be used with or without an eye-catching object on the central closure part of the hinged closure. The central closure part then being designed preferably as a clasp.